Notes and Editorial Reviews

There’s no shame in detesting organ music, even if some of Bach’s greatest works were written for the instrument. Nor is there anything wrong with wanting only a selection, rather than springing for a massive box. Finally, even if you love this stuff, you should own this collection. It’s just wonderfully fun. Most of the popular pieces are here: the big toccatas/preludes and fugues (in D minor, the “Dorian,” and the St. Anne); the C minor Passacaglia and Fugue; the Fantasie and Fugue in G minor, and about half a dozen others. Richter plays three of the six trios, three chorale preludes (including “Wachet auf”), plus two of the big early chorale partitas (variation sets based on a well-known choraleRead more tune).

The success or failure of any organ recital depends as much on the organ as on the organist. Richter chooses two: a wonderful modern instrument in the Jaegersborg Church in Copenhagen, and the very well-known Silberman organ in Freiberg Cathedral which dates from Bach’s time. These give you the opportunity to hear a wide range of tone colors and timbres, and Richter takes full advantage of all of the possibilities. His performances are lively and spontaneous in a way that completely rids the music of those creaky, baroque cobwebs that make you wonder if people who like this stuff aren’t just a bit “off” mentally, if you know what I mean.

The opening of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor offers a case in point (sound clip No. 1): no Phantom of the Opera psycho-killer waiting in the wings here–just honest, vivid music making of striking power and imagination. And the sonorities that Richter chooses in the trios are simply magical (second sound clip). Pure, three part counterpoint has seldom sounded so otherworldly. The sonics, dating from 1964-9, were really demonstration quality for their day, and they still are. You’ll love this very generously filled 3-disc set, even if your friends may start thinking you a tad strange.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: ( 1 Customer Review )

One of the Best Bach Organ Collections EverSeptember 7, 2015By Ivan G. (East Elmhurst, NY)See All My Reviews"Kudos to DG for reissuing these recordings of Bach organ music performed by the great Karl Richter. I owned the original LP's and found the recorded sound exemplary. Now on CD the sound is even clearer allowing every nuance of the organs to be heard as if you are sitting in the center of the two churches in question. The building acoustics are captured equally well. So, how to the per- formances fare? Some personal observations notwithstanding, these are some of the finest Bach interpretations you will ever hear. As an organist who has learned many of these works I can vouch for this. I personally would have appreciated more rhythmic freedom, articulation and faster tempi in the two D Minor toccatas, the G Minor Fantasy, the A minor fugue and the Trio Sonata #5. That said the other works are done spectacularly well (the D Major and E Minor fugues stand out with their bracing tempi) with an ear for expressiveness as well as virtuosity. Among the chorale preludes only Wachet Auf is too slow for the meaning of the text. Richter's account Schmucke Dich inspired me to learn it. The two organs are well contrasted in terms of sound and the music is well chosen between them. No collection of this kind will have the music done exactly as you would want and others may have their own opinions interpretively. So my opinion is - go for this set and enjoy, wither on its own or as a supplement to a complete set(s). Get this now before it disappears and enjoy."Report Abuse